Horse-checking device.



O. D. SHANK. HORSE CHECKING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1906.

2 SHEETSSEEET 1.

Q w K 8 wuenfoz i mfla Patented June 14, 1910.

Armrsw 5 nan-am co PNOTO-LIINGGRAPHERS, wasuwaron n a O. D. SHANK. HORSE GHEOKING DEVICE. APPLIOATIONIILED APR. 30, 1906.

v Patented June 14,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

OBEY DILLMAN SHANK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HORSE-CHECKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1910.

Application filed April 30, 1906. Serial No. 314,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OBEY DILLMAN SHANE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and

State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse- Checking Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and complete disclosure.

My invention relates to harness and par ticularly to that part of the same which includes the checking straps and bit connections.

The object of my invention is to provide a checking bit of such a configuration that together with the checking straps it may be controlled by the latter to compel the horse to hold up its head.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for holding the nose band in its desired position upon the bridge of the nose.

WVith these objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and manner of operation set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, like reference characters referring to corresponding parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a horse harnessed with my improved checking device; Fig. 2 is a modification of Fig. 1, but showing the checking device in full lines and the horse in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the curbing or checking bit; Fig. 4; is a front view of the same; Fig. 5 is an end view and Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on line 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the nose band and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken on line 8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and (3, 1 indicates the intermediate portion of the bit, which passes through the mouth of the horse between the jaws above the regular driving bit, which is not shown herein. This intermediate portion is contracted at the middle but broadened as it approaches the ends, as indicated at 2-2. The end portions are turned upwardly, forming broadened cheek portions 33, extending rearwardly from which are the arms 41, which terminate in slotted check lugs 55. An anti-friction roller 6 is journaled on the upper side of each slotted check lug. Depending from the arms 4& and forward of the check lugs 55 are the slotted ears 77, which are adapted to be engaged by the curb or chin strap 8, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The chin strap may be fastened to the lug in any well known manner, and may also contain a buckle intermediate its ends, for adjusting purposes.

Referring to Fig. 1, 9 indicates the nose band, which terminates in check lines, as indicated at 1010.. These check lines respectively pass through the slotted lugs 55, and converge over the face of the horse, as indicated at 1111, into a junction piece 12, after which they diverge, as indicated at 13-13, passing through the separated eyelets or guides 14 11 on the crown piece or strap 15, which crown piece is secured behind the ears of the horse by the throat strap 16. The said check lines again converge from the eyelets 1et14 rearwardly terminating in perforated tongues, which are in turn fastened in buckles 1717 of the straps meeting in the junction piece 18, which is connected in any suitable manner to the hook on the saddle of the harness. The above described construction causes the horse to hold up its head in order to relieve the pressure produced upon its nose, which occurs whenever the head is lowered, as will now be explained. Assuming that the pose of the horse is the same as that disclosed in the drawings, a downward movement of the head will cause a corresponding downward movement to the intermediate portion of the bit, which in turn is communicated to the lugs 55, thus pulling on the check straps passing therethrough, the said straps being connected with the fixed hook 19 of the saddle. The pull thus exerted will cause the portions 1010 of the check straps to pass through the slots in the check lugs 55, thus drawing downwardly the ends of the nose band 9 on the nose of the horse. At the same time the curb or chin strap 8 prevents the horse from opening its jaws to such a degree as to interfere with the location of the bit, and also assists in holding down the bit against the draw of the check straps. In order to bring the nose band well up on the bridge of the nose thus compelling the horse to carry its nose out and to extend its neck and prevent choking, and at the same time to avoid having the nose band press upon the nostrils, I arrange the check lugs 5-5 in the rear of the bit and this rearward location of the check lugs 5-5 holds the nose-band 9 upon the hard or bony part of the nose and does not per- 1 mit the same to slip down over the nostrils I or the soft part of the nose. 1

It will be apparent that with an ordinary 1 bit arranged merely with check strap rings in the rear of the bit, any tension on the 2 check straps would tend to turn the bit in the mouth of the animal and, consequently cause the nose band 9 to fall downwardly 1 over the nostrils of the animal. To counteri act this tendency of the bit to rotate and t to hold the check strap lugs in a fixed position relatively to the nose of the animal and l the nose band upon the bridge of the nose, I employ slotted check strap lugs, the plane i of which is slightly inclined downwardly to I the plane of the mouth portion of the bit and I also arrange the slots in the lugs so that the pull of the checking rein will be in alinement with the axis of the bit. I further arrange the chin strap lugs to the rear of the bit proper, that is to say, on the same side of the bit as are the check strap lugs, and the chin strap also tends to prevent any rotation of the bit and throwing of the nose band forwardly or downwardly. The check straps lit comparatively snugly within the slots in the check strap lugs and also constribute to the general results above pointed out. In this way the nose band is maintained in its proper position without the employment of any other means for preventing its forward or downward movement. The degree of pull exerted on the check straps may be regulated in any well known manner, but is preferably regulated by the buckles in the check line connections, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The broadened portions 22 and the cheek portions 3-3 of the bit prevent any chafing or cutting of the mouth of the horse when the bit is forcibly pressed against the same.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, which represent the detail construction of the nose band, 20 represents a pad made of leather, which is broadened at its intermediate portion and tapers toward its end portions, also becoming thinner, terminating in edges suitable to be fastened to the extremities of the check straps 21 and 22, the one overlapping the other on top of said cushion. The said check straps overlap the whole length of the cushion and the three parts are suitably fastened together at their end and side portions, preferably by stitching, as shown in the drawings.

In the modification shown in Fig. the check lines after passing through the slotted lugs do not converge into a junction piece as in the construction disclosed in Fig. 1, but cross each other as indicated at 11 and 13 respectively, passing through the eyelets 1 l14 and terminating in tongue pieces which are fastened in the buckles 1Tl7 of the straps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A fiat bit comprising an intermediate contracted portion having its extremities broadened and turned upwardly to form cheek portions, said cheek portions having rearwardly extending arms terminating in check lugs, each of said lugs being provided with an oblong slot arranged substantially parallel to the plane of the intermediate portion of the bit.

2. A flat bit comprising an intermediate contracted portion having its extremities broadened and turned upwardly to form cheek portions, the said cheek portions having rearwardly extending arms terminating in check lugs provided with oblong slots arranged substantially parallel to the plane of said bit, and adapted to slidably receive a nose band, and outwardly turned slotted ears depending from said arms in the rear of said bit to engage the extremities of a chin strap.

3. In a harness, the combination with a bit having rearwardly extending slotted check lugs, of a nose band having its extremities terminating in check straps passing slidably through said lugs and meeting in a junction piece in the rear of said nose band and checking reins connected with said junction piece.

4. The combination with a bit having rearwardly extending slotted check lugs and ears adapted to engage the extremities of the chin strap mounted forward of said check lugs, of a nose band having its extremities terminating in check straps passing slidably through said lugs and meeting in a junction piece in the rear of said nose band and checking reins connected with said junction piece.

5. The combination with a bit having check lugs, of a nose-band having its extremities passing slidably therethrough, and chin strap lugs connected with said bit and arranged in the rear of said bit.

6. The combination with a bit having rearwardly extending cheek strap lugs, of a noseband having its extremities passing slidably therethrough, and chin strap lugs rigidly connected to said bit and arranged in the rear thereof.

7. In a harness the combination with a bit having rearwardly extending check lugs, of a nose band terminating in check straps, and means for slidably securing said nose band and check straps to the ends of said check lugs, the said nose band being free to move laterally in either direction.

8. In a harness, the combination with a bit having rearwardly extending slotted check lugs, of a nose band having its extremities terminating in check straps passing slidably through said lugs.

9. In a harness, the combination with a bit comprising an intermediate contracted portion having its extremities broadened and turned upwardly to form cheek portions, the said cheek portions having rearwardly extending arms terminating in slotted check lugs, and outwardly turned slotted ears depending from said arms, of a nose piece terminating in check straps passing slidably through said check lugs, and a chin strap passing through said slotted ears.

10. In a harness the combination with a bit, having upwardly and rearwardly extending slot-ted check lugs, of a nose band having its extremities terminating in check straps passing slidably through said lugs, said nose band being free to move laterally in either direction.

11. A bit, comprising an intermediate flat portion turned upwardly and rearwardly at its ends and terminating in check lugs, said check lugs being provided with oblong slots extending in a plane above and substantially parallel to the plane of the said intermediate portion of the bit.

12. A bit comprising intermediate flat port-ions turned upwardly and rearwardly at its ends and provided with oblong slots extending in a plane substantially parallel to the intermediate portion of said bit, and slotted ears secured to said upturned ends and located immediately to the rear of the said intermediate fiat port-ions of said bit.

13. A bit, comprising an intermediate flat portion turned upwardly and rearwardly at its ends and terminating in check lugs provided with oblong slots extending in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of said intermediate portion, and slotted ears located .in front of said check lugs and in the rear of said intermediate portion.

1%. A bit comprising an intermediate contracted portion having its extremities broadened and turned upwardly to form cheek portions, said cheek portions having rearwardly and upwardly extended arms terminating in check lugs and downwardly depending slotted ears for a chin strap said ears being located between the intermediate .portion of said bit and the ends of said check lugs.

15. A bit comprising an intermediate portion turned upwardly at its ends to form cheek port-ions and having rearwardly and upwardly extending check lugs, and chin strap lugs between said intermediate portion and the ends of said check lugs each of said check lugs and each of said chin strap lugs being provided with an oblong slot, said slots being approximately parallel.

16. A checking bit comprising an intermediate portion having broadened ends to rest within the mouth of the animal, said ends being turned upwardly to form cheek portions, and terminating in rearwardly extending check lugs and chin strap lugs between said intermediate portions and the ends of said check lugs, each of said check lugs and each of said chin strap lugs being provided with an oblong slot, the longitudinal axes of said slots being substantially parallel.

17. A checking bit comprising an intermediate portion having upwardly turned ends forming cheek portions, rearwardly extending check lugs and downwardly and outwardly extending chin strap lugs be tween said intermediate port-ion and the ends of said check lugs.

18. A checking bit comprising an intermediate portion having upwardly turned ends forming cheek portions, rearwardly extending check lugs, and downwardly and outwardly extending chin strap lugs between said intermediate portion and the ends of said check lugs, each of said check lugs and each of said chin strap lugs being provided with an oblong slot, said slot-s being approximately parallel.

19. A checking bit comprising an intermediate contracted portion having broadened ends to rest within the mouth of the animal, said ends having upturned cheek portions, rearwardly extending check lugs, and chin strap lugs extending outwardly respectively from the planes of said upturned portions.

20. A bit comprising an intermediate portion having upwardly turned ends forming flattened cheek portions, rearwardly and upwardly extending check lugs, and downwardly extending chin strap lugs between said intermediate portion and the ends of said check lugs and extending outwardly respectively from the planes of said cheek portions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of April, A. D., 1906.

OBEY DILLMAN SHANK.

\Vitnesses ALEXANDER PARK, ALs'roN B. MOULTON.- 

